Some People — GASP — May Not Actually Be Sick When They Take a Sick Day

In not-so-stunning news, it appears that every sick day taken by employees may not be due to genuine illness. The latest survey by CareerBuilder found that about a third of all call-ins last year were made by workers who simply opted to take the day off rather than save their sick time for when they actually needed it.

However, the most interesting attribute of calling in sick is the excuses that people make for not coming into work. Sure, there are the standard lines that most managers hear repeatedly, but some employees get creative with their excuses.

According to CareerBuilder, some of the most creative excuses reported by some 2,500 human resource professionals across the country include:

Employee was upset after watching 'The Hunger Games'

Employee's dead grandmother was being exhumed for a police investigation

Employee's hair turned orange from dying her hair at home

Whatever happened to simply just telling your employer that you aren't feeling well?

The survey also discovered that while most bosses are understanding when it comes to employee absences, 3 out of 10 randomly check up on employees by either calling them at home or by requesting a doctor’s note.

Still, employees have always and will continue to take sick days when they are not necessarily needed, especially in December, which according to the survey is the most popular month to call in sick.